


Come on holiday with me

by GoForGoals



Category: Men's Football RPF
Genre: Best Friends, Blow Jobs, Boys In Love, Boys Kissing, Falling In Love, First Kiss, First Time Blow Jobs, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Gentle Kissing, Gentleness, Hand Jobs, Holidays, Kissing, Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Neck Kissing, Summer Vacation, Vacation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-30
Updated: 2020-09-06
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:28:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24458242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoForGoals/pseuds/GoForGoals
Summary: Julian and Kai can’t travel abroad in summer. But Julian has another idea.
Relationships: Julian Brandt/Kai Havertz
Comments: 38
Kudos: 69





	1. Prologue.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mariothellama](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mariothellama/gifts).



Kai glimpses at his mobile, a sad look upon his face. In three days, he would have gone on holiday with Julian, hiring at boat in the Mediterranean Sea.

Yet, the circumstances are different now.

Kai sighs, trying not to dream about carefree days in the sun, about warm nights, the ocean right next to him.

The ocean - and Jule.

What should have been the perfect summer for both of them, first the European Championship and then a vacation together, turns into a nightmare.

Just when Kai puts his mobile to the side, he notices an incoming message from Julian.

_"Someone will pick you up on Saturday at 2pm. Come on holiday with me!"_

***

Kai has tried many times, but Julian hasn’t given anything away about his plans. He has just told Kai that he should pack his bag for a week.

Finally, Saturday is there. An hour before the mysterious 'someone' should show up - of course Julian hasn’t said who they are - Kai starts to pace around nervously in his flat.

What has Julian in mind? They surely can’t take a plane or a train to a destination abroad. In fact, they can’t go anywhere. But Julian has clearly spoken about a holiday.

The clock hands creep slower and slower but eventually, it’s 2am. Punctually, Kai’s doorbell rings. He is so nervous that he forgets to look through the camera, opening the door blindly. He trusts Julian enough not to send a dangerous stranger after him.

It turns out that the person Julian has ordered to pick Kai up is not a stranger at all.  
  
"Jannis!" Kai shouts, smacking himself inwardly that he hasn’t suspected the obvious.

"Are you ready?" Jannis grins after they have hugged each other. "I know an impatient person waiting for you."

"Where is he?" Kai asks innocently but Jannis just laughs.

"I won’t tell you," he says, picking Kai’s bag up.

"I can carry it myself," Kai insists but Jannis shakes his head. "He ordered me to be a good chauffeur."

Kai still has no clue what is happening but he follows Jannis outside. "Damn it, he gave you his car?" Kai can’t believe his eyes.

Jannis smiles. "That was part of the deal."

"Now this is getting interesting," Kai murmurs, more to himself.

After climbing into Jannis’ - or better Julian’s - car, Kai finds a note and a lunch bag on the passenger’s seat. He opens the bag and pulls a package of his favourite gummy bears, a banana and a bottle of mineral water out. 'Enjoy the ride', Kai reads in Julian’s handwriting before he stares at Jannis confused.

"What is going on here?" Kai asks. "Since when is Jule so… attentive?" Hastily, he opens the water and pours a good amount of it down his throat.

"He has some proper drinks prepared for later," Jannis replies instead of an answer, starting the car.

Kai doesn’t talk at first, focussing on the direction Jannis is taking. Suddenly, he notices something. "You’re not using the GPS," he states, "so you must know the way by heart."

"Bingo," Jannis replies.

"He didn’t rent a house, did he?" Kai asks but he just earns another smile.  
  
"I won’t tell you anything," Jannis persists.

"Can I call him?" Kai doesn’t wait for an answer though, he pulls his mobile out and calls Julian. He’s surprised that Julian answers. "Jule, what am I doing here?" Kai doesn’t beat around the bush.

"Eat your gummy bears and enjoy the surprise, Kai," Julian replies quietly, but Kai can hear another nuance in his voice.

"I would enjoy the ride much more when you’re telling me where Jannis is bringing me to!" Kai is louder than he has planned to be.

"He is bringing you to me," Julian replies after a while.

"I’m sorry." Kai replies contritely. "Shall I keep some gummy bears for you?" Julian laughs but Kai doesn’t really listen to him because Jannis takes a turn to the highway. "We’re heading towards Dortmund!" Kai exclaims, "are we going to pick you up there?"

Jannis flinches but doesn’t say anything, his eyes glued to the road.

Kai can hear Julian’s breathing through the line. "We’re not picking anybody up in Dortmund," Julian finally mumbles. "In fact, Jannis is dropping you there."

"But that means… that means…" Kai still doesn’t understand.

Julian chuckles. "Congratulations," he says. "You have booked an all-inclusive holiday in Dortmund."


	2. Day 1.

Kai talks a lot to Jannis during the remaining way to Dortmund. He tries to ask Jannis about Julian’s plans, he’s sure that Julian’s brother knows more, but gives up eventually when he doesn’t get a proper reply.

Then he tells Jannis about the last season, about the weird feeling of playing in stadiums without fans.

"Have you already decided what you want to do now?" Jannis asks the inevitable.

"No," Kai shakes his head, "I have so many thoughts in my head, so many options. It’s not easy."

"You can always come to me when you need someone to talk," Jannis states.

The next minutes, if not the next hour, Kai talks his feelings and problems away. He doesn’t expect an answer from Jannis, he just savours that someone is listening to him without prejudices or demands.

And when they pass the town sign of Dortmund, Kai is really in a holiday mood.

***

Jannis heads straight to the underground car park of Julian’s flat. Suddenly, Kai is a bit nervous. Holiday in Dortmund? With Julian? He doesn’t really know what to make out of it and he still longs for the Mediterranean Sea, for the warm sun and for the airstream of a boat.

To Kai’s utter surprise, Julian waits in the car park for them.

"Jule!" Kai exclaims excitedly, in a hurry to open the door of the car before he storms outside and straight into the arms of his friend.

Julian smiles his signature smile, bright and blinding like the sunshine, before he hugs Kai tightly.

A deep sigh escapes Kai because he feels so protected, so safe and secure in Julian’s arms. Nobody can do him any harm as long as Jule is his friend, Kai thinks.

Their hug goes on until Jannis clears his voice. "Do you need more time? Shall I bring Kai’s bag upstairs?"

Julian releases Kai and punches his brother. "Hand the bag to me. You have another mission now," he orders cryptically.

"Oh, he isn’t joining us?" Kai asks.

Julian grins and shakes his head. "Later. Take pot luck!" He grabs Kai’s bag and walks to the elevator, Kai on his heels.

Kai has been in Julian’s flat before and he loves how spacious it is. The view outside is spectacular, the furniture modern and tasty.

"Here, I have prepared the guest room next to my bedroom for you," Julian states, carrying Kai’s bag inside.

Kai follows Julian, not trusting his eyes when he enters the guest room. It is tidy, although Julian can be a bit messy sometimes. There are apparently fresh and cosy sheets on the bed - and a towel formed like a swan.

"You didn’t do that, did you," Kai says, pointing at the towel.

"Some hotel flair," Julian mumbles, cheeks turning red. "I learned that from a youtube video," he mutters in addition.

Before Kai can ask another question, Julian maneuvers him out of the room. "It’s time for a welcome drink," he says, guiding Kai to his kitchen.

There’s a brand new bar with two chairs, crowned by two fresh drinks on the tabletop. Julian hands one drink to Kai, raising his glass. "Cheers, my friend. To a great holiday!"

Kai sips from the drink, noticing that it only contains a single bit of alcohol. "Did you create that yourself?" Kai asks, taking another sip from the cocktail.

"Yeah," Julian confirms. "And I have a new grill on the balcony. Well, and something else."

Slowly, he opens the curtain to his large balcony that is rather a roof terrace. Kai’s eyes grow big against his will. Julian didn’t do that, did he… "You bought a fucking whirlpool!" Kai finally brings out.

"Uhm, yes", Julian confirms. "You don’t have to worry, an engineer calculated the possible weight. It won’t crack when we sit inside."

"Jule," Kai says, staring at his friend. "You’re completely nuts!"

"Somewhere between genius and madness," Julian grins and raises his glass again, emptying it. "Do you want another one?"

Kai nods, walking back to the bar. He watches how Julian pours some juices and liqueurs into a mixing cup, shaking it afterwards. "Your muscles grew," he states involuntarily, his gaze glued to Julian’s biceps.

"Just a tiny bit," Julian replies, smiling. He keeps on shaking their drinks and Kai imagines that Julian flexes his biceps on purpose now.

But maybe it’s just the alcohol slowly kicking in.

***

Another drink later - this time, Julian mixes an alcohol-free cocktail - they move over to Julian’s balcony. On the way outside, Kai notices that Julian has already set the table in his dining area.

"Are we going to have dinner?" Kai asks perplexed, stunned about the romantic setting.

"Of course we are going to have dinner, Kai," Julian replies as if it was nothing. "We are always having dinner on our first day of vacation, don’t we?"

"Uhm, yes," Kai replies. "Are you going to cook something?"

"Not today," Julian states, laughing when he sees Kai’s face. "Jannis is picking up some sushi for us," he explains.

"That’s cool!" Kai hesitates for a moment before he follows Julian outside. "Why are you doing all this," he adds quietly when they sit in Julian’s lounge sofa, drinks within reach.

Julian looks at the horizon, the evening sun bathing him in a beautiful light. "I wanted to spend this summer with you," he confesses. "I don’t need to travel abroad. I just want to be together with you."

Kai feels a lump in his throat and lays an arm around Julian’s shoulders, too touched to reply anything. Slowly, Julian’s head sinks against Kai’s shoulders, gently and very carefully. Kai ruffles his hair. "I want to be together with you too," he says and Julian snuggles into him even closer but only for a brief second - because his doorbell rings.

"That’s Jannis with the sushi," Julian murmurs with a sigh. "I go and get the food." With apparent reluctance, he stands up while Kai remains on the balcony for some time to let the sun warm him. The sun - and something else deep inside him.

***

"Dinner is ready!" Julian exclaims after a while, inviting Kai inside.

"Oh wow, Jule." Kai is touched again, with dozens of sushi rolls and other treats on the table, together with a candle. He sits down, frowning. "Doesn’t Jannis eat with us?"

"He’s already on his way to Bremen," Julian says, pouring Kai a glass of wine.

"In your car?"

Julian snorts. "He blackmailed me. Told me that his service has a price."

"But you still have your other car left here," Kai chuckles, impressed of Jannis’ negotiating skills.

"We will need it during the next week," Julian says, handing Kai a plate of sushi. "Enjoy your meal!"

The sushi is delicious and they eat for quite some time, not leaving a single crumble on the plates.

"I am so full," Kai fancies afterwards, "what about another drink on your balcony?"

Julian nods. "And tomorrow we inaugurate the whirlpool."

"Of course we do." Kai is in such a relaxed mood, everything feeling so pleasurable. They spend the entire evening and half of the night on Julian’s balcony, talking about their lives, their hopes and their dreams.

"Thank you for inviting me here, Jule," Kai finally says when both of them are dead tired.

Julian accompanies Kai to his room, hugging him tightly to wish him a good night. "I’ll prepare breakfast for us tomorrow. And Kai? Make yourself at home."

Kai nods and closes the door behind him, using the bathroom before he finally crawls underneath the blanket.

There, he lets his head sink onto the cool linen and is immediately surrounded by Julian’s scent - as if he has sprayed Kai’s pillow with his aftershave. 


	3. Day 2.

Kai awakes to the same scent. To Julian’s scent. But this time, it is not only in his pillow, but in the entire room.

"Kai?" he hears Julian’s voice. "Kai, are you awake?"

There’s another scent mingling with’s Julian’s, the scent of freshly brewed coffee.

Sleepily, Kai opens his eyes. "Hey," he murmurs, voice still hoarse, "good morning." It takes him a while to realize where he is and what he’s doing there.

He’s in Dortmund. In Julian’s flat.

"Jule," Kai mumbles, sitting up in bed and facing his friend. He gazes at his watch afterwards, surprised about the time. "You’re awake already? It’s only 11 o’clock!"

Kai is aware that his hair must be a mess, a sharp contrast to Julian who is already dressed.

"I prepared breakfast for us," Julian replies as if he was doing that every day.

"You did what?!"

"Breakfast. Coffee. Buns." Julian points over his shoulder and into the direction of his kitchen.

"I can’t believe that." Kai folds the blanket away and stands up, grooming his strands. "Let me have a look."

Julian makes way for him with a smile.

Once in the kitchen, Kai doesn’t trust his eyes. The table is set, there are buns, coffee, croissants, jam, even boiled eggs.

"Jule!" Kai exclaims, "who did that?"

Julian grins. "I did that myself," he stats proudly. "The eggs might be a bit… hard," he adds, looking innocent.

"I don’t care," Kai stammers. "I take a quick shower and I’m back in five minutes, okay?" He really needs some cold water all over his body now.

"Of course." Julian is still smiling, beaming even, and that damn smile does _things_ to Kai. Again.

Kai uses the bathroom quickly, hurrying to return to Julian and to the breakfast that is waiting for him. He has never been that hungry before, Kai thinks, a bit confused.

Julian already sits at the table when Kai comes back, his hair still wet, dressed in casual summer clothes. He joins his friend who pours him some coffee. Kai takes deep sips, shaking away the last traces of his sleep.

"What are we going to do today?" Kai grabs a bun, cutting it in two. "The whirlpool?"

"The whirlpool," Julian nods. "I haven’t used it before. I wanted to wait until you are here."

"That’s cute," Kai replies and he really means it. "I brought swimming shorts with me."

"Good," Julian means, "otherwise you could have had a pair of mine. Or…"

Kai stops eating. "Or what?"

"The neighbours can’t observe my terrace. We could even use the pool …naked." Still, Julian has that innocent look upon his face and Kai isn’t sure if he’s joking or not. Yet, he can’t think further about Julian’s suggestion because he chokes on a crumble, coughing heavily.

"Are you okay, Kai?" Julian asks, patting Kai’s back. He’s close, so close and Kai can only nod and drink from his juice, hoping that he’s able to hide how tempting Julian’s idea really is to him.  
  
  
***  
  
  
The whirlpool is absolutely gorgeous. Julian lets Kai step into the water first and he sighs in bliss with the water bubbling around him. The sight is amazing, there are really no neighbours around, just the open sky and the sun. It’s almost like a day in Spain.

"Whoa," Julian shouts while he follows Kai, almost slipping on the ground before he sits down. "What is this?" he murmurs, turning around. "There’s a nozzle directly in my back, do you mind if I’m coming closer to you?"

Kai shakes his head. Something inside him is tingling in anticipation but he tells himself that this is just Julian. His friend. His holiday partner.

Slowly, the tension in Kai’s muscles fades and he sighs another time. "That’s good," Kai murmurs.

"The whirlpool?" Julian wants to know, stretching his legs.

"The whirlpool. And holiday in Dortmund."  
  
  
***  
  
  
They sit in the whirlpool, letting the warm water indulge them, until the skin of their fingers gets wrinkled. "Shall I start the grill? I have bought some burgers, steaks and sausages," Julian says, standing up. He reaches for a towel and hands Kai another one.

"Yes, that’s a good idea", Kai confirms. "Are you grilling in an apron? Ass bare?" He softly chuckles at the thought.

Julian stares at him perplexed. "Did you listen to the BVB podcast?"

"Of course I did." Kai feels that his cheeks redden. "I watch and listen to almost every of your interviews, Jule."

"Oh." Julian doesn’t say anything else, drying himself off from head to toe. "I’ll go inside and get the meat," he finally states, throwing his towel away.

"And some sunscreen!" Kai shouts after him. "Your back is already red!"

Kai waits for Julian’s sassy reply but when Julian returns, he balances not only a plate full of steaks and burger patties, but also a bottle of sunscreen in his hands. After placing the plate on a table nearby, he throws the bottle into Kai’s direction. "Here, smartass."

"I won’t get a sunburn," Kai protests, "I’m not as sensitive as you are."

Julian laughs. "That might be true. But Kai?"

"Yes?"  
  
"I can’t reach my back myself", Julian adds patiently. "You’ll have to apply the lotion."

"Oh." After a moment, Kai opens the bottle and squeezes some lotion into his hands. "Come here," he orders, placing both of his hands on Julian’s bare shoulders, stroking downwards.

_Fuck, that feels good._

Kai holds his breath for a second before he continues, pretending to just put sunscreen on his best friend’s back. He can feel Julian’s muscles, his soft skin, his flanks, everything. And Julian is holding perfectly still.

After a while, there are no white stripes left on Julian’s back but Kai continues to move his hands because he simply can’t stop. Eventually, he draws back.

"Thank you," Julian says, turning around to face Kai. Again, he’s shining. Glowing even.

Kai clears his throat, musing what to reply. But all he can say is: "I’m hungry."  
  
  
***  
  
  
Julian is a true barbecue master. The meat he grills tastes delicious and Kai eats a burger, a steak and two sausages.

He cannot remember when he has felt so comfortable during the last months.

"That is amazing," he fancies, swallowing another bite, "how did you learn to grill like this?"

Julian takes a sip from his water. "I read some blogs on the internet," he starts, "and there’s a cook here in Dortmund. He comes to private houses and cooks for the people who book him."

"Wow, that’s cool!" Kai munches, not getting enough of the food.

"Uhm, yes," Julian blushes. "I ordered him to come here the day after tomorrow."

"Oh, is he cooking for us?" Kai puts the cutlery aside.

"No, not exactly. He’s cooking together with us."

Kai is speechless for a moment, then he starts to laugh happily. "You mean, you and I are learning to cook?"

"That was the plan, yes." Julian takes another sip. "Do you like the idea?" he asks hesitantly.

"Of course I do, Jule.“ Julian lets out a relieved puff. "But you are doing the dishes afterwards!" Kai adds, smiling mischievously.  
  
  
***  
  
  
The afternoon passes by quietly, with both of them doing some sunbathing, having long talks, alcohol-free cocktails and several sessions in the whirlpool. For dinner, Julian grills more steaks and sausages.

"What are your plans for the rest of the evening?" Kai asks. He would be content just staying outside, enjoying the weather and Julian’s company.

"I thought we could have a movie night?" Julian suggests. "I have bought popcorn and nachos, and huge cups with drinking straws for the coke."

"I hope our trainers don't see that," Kai grins. "Which movie do you want to watch?"

"I don’t know," Julian replies, "Harry Potter maybe?"

"Good idea!" Kai exclaims excited. He doesn’t know when he has visited a cinema for the last time. And Julian’s TV is definitely almost as large as a movie screen.

"Can you bring the plates inside?" Julian asks, "I’ll get the food and our drinks."

Kai helps Julian in the kitchen, astonished how familiar he already feels in his flat. He smiles when he sees that Julian is also preparing some gummy bears.

"All the healthy stuff," Kai points out, "I love that."

Julian gazes at him. "You should gain some weight, Kai," he says seriously. "It’s worrying how thin you are."

Kai makes a dismissive gesture. "I’m fine. And your catering will do the rest."

Julian smiles, an open and honest smile that lets Kai’s stomach flutter.

They find comfortable places on Julian’s large sofa, drinks, gummy bears and nachos within reach, the popcorn between them, stored in a large bowl.

Julian starts the movie and takes a handful of the popcorn. They have a delicious smell, almost like in a real cinema, and Kai lets his hand disappear in the bowl after he has taken a sip from his coke.

It feels fantastic to break every diet rule.

Soon both of them are engaged in the plot, munching popcorn, when their hands suddenly touch inside the bowl. "Sorry," Kai murmurs although Julian’s hand feels so gentle and soft.

"Don’t be," Julian replies and the atmosphere changes all of a sudden. Kai gazes at him stunned but he can’t read Julian’s face. He only notices that Julian lets his hand rest in the bowl more often and when Kai takes a heart, picking up more popcorn, he touches Julian’s hand deliberately.

The movie is long forgotten, Kai holds his breath and eats popcorn - eats popcorn just to be able to feel Julian’s skin.

Eventually, the bowl is empty and there’s a moment of absolute silence between them, until Julian puts the bowl to the side and takes Kai’s hand without any alibi, just holding it, not saying a single word. He holds Kai’s fingers until the movie is over before he releases them, still silent.

Later, when they both have gone to bed, Kai can’t sleep for a long time because he still feels Julian’s hand in his, warm and tender and _promising_.


	4. Day 3.

Kai wakes up to the already familiar scent, a mixture between Julian and freshly brewed coffee. He smiles secretly into his pillow when he smells it, not giving away that he is already awake.

"Kai," Julian whispers, tiptoeing into the room, "Kai!"

For some seconds, Kai can feign that he is still asleep but then he can’t stop smiling broadly. "Julian," he chuckles, "you are cute when you are trying to be gentle."

"Bastard," Julian snorts, grinning.

"10.30 am?" Kai states with a look upon his watch, "you’re turning into an early bird!"

"That’s because we have two appointments today," Julian says. "But you can shower quickly and breakfast will be ready then."

Kai is curious now. "Which appointments?" He slowly gets up, stretching his limbs.

"Surprise!" Julian answers, disappearing into the kitchen.

"Oh come on, tell me more!" Kai shouts after him but he doesn’t get a reply. With a pleasurable sigh, he goes to the bathroom, enjoying his shower, before he returns to Julian. "I could get used to that breakfast," he fancies but Julian shakes his head.

"Better not," he says dryly, "It takes me a good amount of willpower to get up so early every morning."

"I thought so," Kai grins, taking a bun. "But I want to know more about our plans today."

Julian glimpses at his watch. "You’ll know more in about half an hour."

"Is someone coming to visit us?"

Julian raises his eyebrows. "Maybe," he states.

"Someone I know?" Kai bites into a croissant.

"No, you don’t know her." Julian answers with a wink.

Kai’s eyes grow big. "There’s a woman visiting us?" A strange feeling is pooling in his guts. "Your latest crush or what?" Kai’s stomach performs something akin to a weird leap while he says that.

Julian seems to enjoy Kai’s confusion because he doesn’t reply immediately. "No," he finally says and the knot in Kai’s tummy is finally vanishing.

"Spill it out, Jule," Kai grumbles although he is still relieved that Julian isn’t dating.

"I asked our physiotherapist to come here and work with us."

Kai’s mouth is hanging open. "You did …what?" he stammers.

"Well, since we can’t have any treatments or some kind of wellness, I booked our physiotherapist for some hours." Julian repeats.

"Your physiotherapist," Kai echoes, reaching to a conclusion. "Are you sure that you don’t want to check her out?"

"Kai," Julian replies with patience, "I am totally sure. And you will like her, I promise."

For the second time, Kai chokes on a crumble and coughs, not knowing what to make out of Julian’s plans.

***

In the end, Julian is right. He’s always right. Kai likes the physiotherapist right from the start, especially because he is the first to get treated.

He sighs and relaxes when his muscles are kneaded, laying on the mobile stretcher that the physiotherapist has brought with her. With every minute that passes, he feels more comfortable and he’s even disappointed when his session is over.

That is until Julian undresses his shirt and lays down too.

Kai can see the curves of his broad back, glistening with the massage oil. He can’t avert his gaze, glad that Julian can’t see how much he is staring. The physiotherapist winks at him. "Do you want to see how you can treat stiff muscles?" she asks Kai, ignoring the indignant sound that Julian lets out.

"My muscles aren’t stiff," he mumbles but he doesn’t move.

Slowly, Kai places his hands upon Julian’s back, moving them just like the physiotherapist is ordering him to do. "Yes, along the spine. Now down the flanks. Don’t forget the shoulders!"

Julian is completely silent, all that Kai can hear is his breathing. Julian’s skin feels perfect underneath Kai’s fingers, he can sense every toned muscle, every vertebrae. "Kai," Julian murmurs.

"Yes?" Kai is still focussed on his task.

"You’re a natural talent."

The physiotherapist laughs. "Let’s see if you are a natural talent too, Jule!"

At first, Julian doesn’t react but then he gets the hint. "Shall I try it?" he asks perplexed.

"Of course!" Kai and the physiotherapist reply.

Reluctantly, Julian stands up and makes way for Kai. He lets his fingers crack and hesitates before he reaches for Kai’s back who is laying down now.

The first touch is taking Kai’s breath away. Julian’s fingers are soft and warm, yet strong and determined. "Jule!" Kai pants surprised.

"Did I hurt you?" Julian asks alarmed.

Kai can hear that the physiotherapist smiles. "I think he wanted to say that you’re also a natural talent."

Julian strokes Kai’s back for some more minutes; minutes that feel like heaven to Kai. All too soon, the physiotherapist announces that their time is over.

"That was amazing!" Kai praises her, "thank you so much."

Julian however is oddly silent, still gazing at his hands, before he shakes off a thought. "Yes, thank you so much," he murmurs, eventually getting himself together, helping to fold the stretcher. "I’ll carry it to your car," Julian adds, "you can wait here in the meantime, Kai."

Kai says goodbye to the physiotherapist, strolling around in Julian’s flat, when he suddenly has to sneeze. He walks over to Julian’s bathroom because it is next, searching for a handkerchief. He opens the first drawer he finds there - and glances straight at a box of condoms and at an unfamiliar bottle. Hastily, Kai closes the drawer.

There it is again, the weird feeling in his stomach, disturbing him.

Kai suddenly knows that feeling.  
  
And it’s burning inside him.

_Jealousy._

***

Julian returns after a few minutes, Kai waiting for him in the living room. He doesn’t give away what he has found in the bathroom, but he needs some time to pretend to be okay. "What is the second surprise today?" he asks.

"Did you even like the first one?" Julian wants to know.

"Yes," Kai replies, "it was very… intense."

Julian just looks at him, looks and looks, until Kai feels hot. "That’s good," he states. "The second surprise should be fun too. But we have to leave the flat."

"Are we driving somewhere?" Kai asks the obvious because they really can’t walk through Dortmund together.

"Yes," Julian confirms, "but we still have three hours left. Whirlpool?"

"Whirlpool!“

***

Kai doesn’t try to find out about Julian’s plans this time, simply trusting him. He enjoys the hot tub and the steaks that are left over from the day before. Finally, Julian tells him to get ready.

"Can you wear a cap and sunglasses?" Julian pleads, "I want to drive through Dortmund unnoticed."

"We’re undercover agents!" Kai winks at him. He searches for his black cap and his sunglasses, eager to find out what Julian has at stake. Together, they take the elevator to the underground car parking but Julian walks towards an inconspicuous and unfamiliar car there.

"Is that yours?!" Kai asks perplexed, pointing towards the vehicle.

"I rented it," Julian explains, "it’s a bit… discreeter."

Kai enters the car. "Now I’m curious where we are going to!"

Julian starts the car. "Are you ready?"

"Oh yes."

***

They drive through Dortmund in the car and towards a larger road, but Kai has no idea where Julian wants to go to. They don’t seem to head for the city center, rather to the suburbs.

When Kai sees yellow pylons, the penny finally drops. "The stadium!" Kai exclaims, "do you want to show it to me from the car?"

"Almost," Julian grins, approaching a lane that seems to disappear directly into the catacombs of the stadium. A door opens miraculously in front of them and then the stadium seems to swallow them.

"Fuck, we’re inside!" Kai shouts, half shocked, half excited.

"Don’t worry, nobody will learn that you are here. Nobody except for…"

With a swift move, Julian takes a turn and parks the car right next to another vehicle. The vehicle of…

"Marco!"

Kai tears the door of the car open and runs straight towards their teammate from the national team, hugging Marco tightly.

"What are you doing here?" Kai asks delighted.

"Well, you’re getting a private tour through our temple," Marco grins, "and I am your guide."

Kai is speechless and he gazes at Julian. "You’re insane," he murmurs, shaking his head.

"Yes, he is," Marco states dryly, "do you want to follow me?"

During the next hour, Marco leads them through the labyrinth that is his home, he shows them secret rooms, the locker room and he even leads them to the Yellow Wall.

"That is so impressive!" Kai states, gazing around. "It must be fantastic to play here with all the fans in the back."

"It is," Julian nods. He has been quiet during their tour, letting Marco do the talking.

"Who knows that I am here?" Kai eventually asks.

"Just you, Jule, I and Aki," Marco says, "the security is only aware that I brought a guest here. You won’t read about your visit in the papers tomorrow, I promise."

"Thank you," Kai answers touched.

"You’re welcome," Marco replies, "also in my house by the way. I would like to invite you for dinner."  
  
Kai enjoys his stay in Dortmund more and more. "Oh, cool," he replies, "the fresh air in your stadium made me hungry."

"What about you, Jule?" Marco asks.

Again, Julian seems to be somewhere else in his thoughts. "Good idea," he finally states, "I’ll follow your car."

***

The evening at Marco’s house is funny and serious in equal parts. They make a lot of jokes but they also talk about their careers, about Dortmund, about Marco’s injuries. Kai is hanging on Marco’s every word, trying to learn as much as possible from him.

"Don’t forget the joy," Marco states, pouring Kai some wine, "football should always be a pleasure, not an obligation."

Julian is sitting in his chair, simply following the conversation between Marco and Kai.

Finally, Kai notices that his friend has become quiet. "What about you, Jule? Are you happy here in Dortmund?" Kai expects Marco to make another joke but he simply waits for Julian’s answer too.

"Yes," Julian says, "I’m happy with my career."

There’s an odd pause and Kai waits that Marco says something about Julian’s private life, about all the girls he could have, but he doesn’t. "The rest will come," Marco replies instead, gazing at Julian and then at Kai.

"I hope so," Julian murmurs, almost inaudibly. Then, he strengthens his back. "We’ll leave you alone now, old man," he says to Marco, returning to his teasing mode.

"Hey, I’m your captain!" Marco grins, ruffling Julian’s hair. For a short moment, Julian seems to lean into Marco, searching for his embrace, but the moment is quickly gone. Yet, Kai has seen it.

They stand up, saying goodbye to Marco. When Julian is already in the car, Marco hugs Kai. "Take good care of him," he whispers into Kai’s ear.

"No, he’s taking care of me," Kai objects.

"I guess it’s the other way round," Marco answers cryptically before he closes the door of the car.

***

Kai is babbling the entire way home. He tells Julian how gorgeous the stadium is, how much he enjoyed the surprise, how good it was to talk to Marco.

Julian on the other hand still doesn’t say much.

Kai gazes at him. "Are you okay, Jule?" he asks.

"Yes," Julian replies, but it sounds like "no".

"Did I do something wrong?"

Finally, Julian smiles although it is a melancholic smile. "No, not at all."

Kai doesn’t know what to say or to do at first, but then he takes his hand and places it upon Julian’s thigh. "Thank you," he whispers, feeling the warmth of Julian’s body, the strength of his muscles.   
  
And when Julian’s leg is trembling, Kai pretends that he doesn’t notice it.


	5. Day 4.

The next morning, Kai awakes without the scent of coffee and without the scent of Julian in his room. It’s so early that Julian must still be asleep, the entire flat quiet.

Silently, Kai gets up and takes a shower, thinking of the last evening.

They have sat on the roof terrace for a long time after returning from Marco, not talking much, both of them deep in their thoughts. The silence hasn’t been odd though, just giving them space to think and to be together.

It’s still quiet when Kai returns from the bathroom and he decides to turn the tables. He goes over to the kitchen and brews some coffee. Kai doesn’t know where Julian gets the buns from but he sets the table before he walks over to Julian’s bedroom, opening the door carefully.

Julian is sound asleep, chest bare, blanket loosely wrapped around him.

The sight is so touching that Kai’s heart clenches.

He stands there for several minutes, just watching Julian in his sleep, his relaxed face, his ruffled hair.

"Jule," he finally says, more a whisper than a shout.

Julian murmurs something and pulls the blanket tighter around him.

"Hey, Jule," Kai tries again.

Finally, Julian opens his eyes. "Kai!" he says surprised, "did I sleep too long?"

"No, you didn’t," Kai replies, suppressing the sudden, surprising desire to join Julian in his bed. "I just woke up early and prepared breakfast for us. Well, only coffee, to be precise."

Julian smiles. "That was a good idea," he states. "A cup of coffee would be fantastic."

Kai looks at Julian before he takes a heart. "Shall I bring the coffee here?"

"Cool idea," Julian says, stretching himself.

Kai hurries to the kitchen and grabs two mugs of coffee before he returns to Julian. "Here," he offers him his cup.

"Thank you," Julian replies, shifting his weight to the side. "There’s enough space for both of us."

Kai needs a moment to understand what Julian has suggested. "Oh," is all that he can say, clinging to his mug. Cautiously, he sits down on the other side of the bed, immediately enwrapped in Julian’s unique scent.

"The coffee is great," Julian says, taking another large sip.

"It is," Kai murmurs, holding on to the cup because he doesn’t know what to do with his hands. Here. In Julian’s bed.

"The buns are in a bag at the front of my door," Julian grins, "I have ordered a daily delivery service."

"That makes sense," Kai replies. Slowly, his tension fades and he gazes at Julian without saying anything.

"I’m sorry," Julian murmurs, gazing down at himself, "shall I get a shirt?"

Kai waits some seconds before he shakes his head. "No, you shouldn’t," he simply states.

There it is again, the changed, heated atmosphere, but the moment fades.

"I’ll take a shower," Julian mumbles, "then we can have breakfast until the master chef arrives for lunch."

"Can I stay here for a while?" Kai asks faster than he is thinking.

"Yes, Kai. Yes, you can."

***

Kai stays in Julian’s bed, listening to the sounds of the water in the bathroom, trying not to think of a naked Julian underneath the shower.

Before Julian returns, he strolls over to the entrance door, grabbing the buns.

"Oh, you found them!" Julian states, dressed in shorts and a white shirt, drying his hair with a towel.

"Uhm, yes," Kai replies, turning the bag with the buns in his hands, his eyes glued to Julian.

"Is everything okay?" Julian stills his movements before he throws the wet towel away.

Kai nods hastily. "Everything is fine." He opens a drawer and brings the cutlery just to do something. Just to not stare at Julian.

Julian gazes at his watch. "We have two hours left before our cooking lesson starts."

"I’m hungry," Kai blurts out, realizing shocked that he hasn’t talked about food at all.

"That’s good," Julian grins, "our master chef will prepare three courses together with us."

"Three," Kai echoes.

"Yes, the starter, the main course and…" Julian makes a meaningful pause, "the dessert."

Kai’s throat runs dry. "Which dessert?" he asks.

Julian chuckles. "I don’t know," he says, stepping closer to Kai, breathing the next words straight into Kai’s ear. "But I hope that you will enjoy it."

***

Before their teacher arrives, Kai and Julian sit outside in the sun but it is not the only reason why Kai feels hot all of a sudden.

There’s something changing between them.

Finally, Kai admits to himself that his feelings for Julian have changed. And it scares the hell out of him.

Whenever Kai thinks that Julian doesn’t notice it, he looks at him. Looks at his ruffled blond hair, his beautiful hands, his broad back.

He cannot get enough of it.

Everything inside Kai is tingling whenever he hears Julian’s voice, whenever he sees his muscles underneath the soft skin, whenever Julian’s dimple shows when he is smiling.

But this cannot be. Jule is his best friend. And he’s a man.

Kai feels dizzy and he stands up. He has to get out of the sun, out of the blistering heat. Away from Julian.

"What’s up?" Julian asks and hell, his eyes are beautiful.

"I just need to pee," Kai pretends, almost running inside.

Yet, when he’s in the bathroom, being away from Julian doesn’t feel right either. Kai longs for him, for his presence. He splashes cold water into his face and wipes it away with a towel before he returns to Julian.

Julian who still thinks that Kai wants him only as a friend.

Kai shakes his thoughts away. This might just be a phase. He can handle it. "Shall we get ready for our cooking lesson?" he asks slightly exaggerated.

Julian raises his eyebrow in a way only he can do it. "Kai?" he replies. "Are you sure that everything is okay?"

"Of course!" Kai shouts louder than he has planned.

Julian tries to say something but is interrupted by the door bell. He darts Kai another strange look before he invites the master chef to come inside.

The cook is surprisingly young and he is handsome. Too handsome for Kai’s liking. "What are we going to prepare today?" he asks after Julian has presented them to each other.

"We’re starting with a zucchini cream soup," their teacher announces, pulling two zucchinis out of the box he has brought with him.

"Zucchini," Kai echoes. The shape of the vegetable reminds him of something else and he blushes slightly, trying to hide his thoughts from the others.

Julian on the other hand grins mischievously, turning the zucchini in his hands. "And we shall chop it, do we?" he asks. "I hope that nobody gets… hurt."

Kai gasps and stares at Julian who is still grinning, trying to find some knives and chopping boards in his drawers, while the cook washes the zucchini. He shows them how to slice them afterwards.

"Don’t cut yourself, Kai," Julian says, focussing on his task.

"Are you worried about me?"

Julian laughs. "I just don’t want to have a blood bath in my kitchen."

Kai gazes at him, somewhat hurt. "I promise not to make a mess here."

"Hey," Julian replies, "I didn’t mean it. Of course I’m concerned about you."

He looks so honestly at Kai that Kai sighs and nods. He can’t be upset with Julian for long.

The rest of the preparation goes by rather smoothly and in the end, they enjoy a delicious soup on the terrace.

"What’s next?" Julian asks, rubbing his hands.

"Beef roulades!" their master chief replies.

This time, they have to chop onions and it doesn’t take long until tears stream down Kai’s cheeks. He tries to wipe them away but Julian stops him. "Don’t!" he exclaims, "you will only make it worse when you are touching your eyes with your fingers." Out of the blue, he holds a handkerchief in his fingers and strokes it over Kai’s face.  
  
"Fuck, Jule," Kai murmurs because the touch is so pleasant that he can barely breathe.

"Shhh," Julian soothes him, "I’m almost done."

"Thank you for consoling me," Kai replies, sniffling one last time.

„Always, Kai.“

***

The roulades are a complete success too. Kai enjoys every bite but he still feels the touch of Julian’s fingers upon his cheeks during the entire meal. "I’m so full," he fancies after he has put the cutlery aside.

"That’s no problem," the master chef says, "we can prepare the dessert now and you can eat it later. It needs some time in the fridge anyway."

"Sounds good!" Julian means, "Jonas and Jannis are visiting us later. They can have a portion of the dessert then too."

Kai’s heart sinks into his boots before he knows why. "We are getting visitors?" he asks.

"Oh yes. Jonas and Jannis are on their way from Bremen to Köln and they will stop here."

"I see," Kai replies monosyllabically. "Are they… staying overnight?"

"No!" Julian says, wrinkling his forehead. "I thought it would be fun to have them here for some hours."

Kai is surprised about his own disappointment. "Yeah," he says, smiling weakly. "So what about the dessert now?"

***

They prepare the chocolate mousse together as well, melting some chocolate in a pot but Kai is somewhere else in his thoughts.

Jannis. And Jonas. When he wants to be alone with Julian. He snorts, almost ruining the mousse because he doesn’t pay attention to the cooker.

"Do you want to taste it?" Julian asks, holding a spoon with the mousse and offering it to Kai.

"No," Kai snaps, "but I bet Jannis and Jonas would love to try it."

Julian lets the spoon sink, apparently perplexed. "I thought they are your friends too?"

Kai doesn’t even answer, he fills the mousse into some glasses and puts them into the fridge. "Are we done here?" he asks.

Their teacher nods. "Yes, that was it. I hope that you enjoyed the afternoon."

Finally, Kai manages a warm smile. "We did. We really did."

Julian guides the master chef outside, not without staring at Kai before. Kai knows that his behaviour is weird but he can’t get out of his own skin. He longs to be with Julian alone but when Julian returns, he already has Jannis and Jonas in tow.

"Look who’s here!" Julian shouts, giving his brother a puff.

Kai pulls himself together and hugs Jannis and Jonas. "We just prepared a dessert for you."

"I’d rather have a good steak," Jonas replies, "I hope that your grill is ready, bro."

Julian grins. "Is Jannis driving?"

Jonas nods.

"Then you can have a beer or a cocktail too."

Jannis makes an indignant sound. "That’s not fair!"

"Nothing is fair here," Kai murmurs inaudibly but it seems that Julian has heard him nevertheless.

***

Jannis and Jonas stay until the sun descends. In the end, Kai has more fun with them than he would have thought. They laugh a lot together but Kai still feels the spikes of jealousy that hit him whenever Jonas comes too close to Julian.

He remembers the picture Julian has posted for Jonas’ birthday, the one where he has looked so good, arm wrapped around Jonas’ shoulders.

Could it be that Jonas and Julian are in love with each other?

"Kai, do you hear me?" Julian’s voice reaches Kai’s ears.

"Oh, sorry, yes?"

"Jonas and Jannis leave now, they still have to drive for almost two hours. I bring them to their car."

"Wait, I’ll join you.“

***

Seeing the rear lights of Jannis’ - or Julian’s - car disappearing, Kai takes a deep breath. He follows Julian back to the elevator. As soon as the doors are closed, Julian fixes him with his eyes. "What is going on here, Kai," he asks, deadly quiet.

"I don’t know what you are talking about, Jule," Kai pretends.

"Do you think that I’m dumb?"

_I think that you are the most attractive person walking on Earth._

"Why?“ Kai replies instead.

"Do you have a problem with me? Or Jannis? Or Jonas?"

_No, I have a problem with myself._

"Not at all," Kai replies defensively. To his luck, Julian can’t ask more questions because the elevator arrives at his level. He opens the door to his flat and walks straight to the place where he had been standing in the picture with Jonas. In fact, he also raises his leg and puts his foot against the wall in the very same way.  
  
Seductively.  
  
Irresistibly.

"Don’t do that, Jule," Kai murmurs, slowly cracking.

"What? What is it that you don’t want me to do?" Julian raises his chin, looking Kai straight into the eyes.

Kai comes closer. Step by step. "I wanted to be alone with you," he starts, realizing very well that it doesn’t make any sense but it helps to talk himself into a rage. "But you always invite other people here."

"Kai!" Julian replies surprised, pushing himself away from the wall but Kai is already to close to let him escape.

"Am I not enough for you?" Kai adds, pushing one of his arms against the wall, right next to Julian’s head, trapping him.

Julian looks at him, half in shock, half in wonder, but Kai can’t stop himself anymore.

"Am I not good enough for you?" he adds, pushing his other hand against the wall now too, Julian caught in between his arms.

"Fuck, Kai," Julian whispers. Kai expects him to move away, slowly realizing what he has just done. He considers to release Julian but something is gluing him to the wall, is gluing him to Julian. "What are we doing here?" Julian asks.

There’s a deafening silence in the room, only their harsh breathing is audible. Kai moves his face closer to Julian’s until he can also _feel_ his breath.

This would be the moment to kiss Julian, Kai thinks, to kiss him and to never stop.  
  
Julian waits, patiently, not moving a single inch.

"I can’t do that," Kai finally croaks out, regretting it in the very next second.  
  
There’s barely hidden sadness in Julian’s eyes as he reaches out his hand, stroking Kais cheek in a tender gesture. "It’s okay," he replies, although nothing is okay anymore.


	6. Day 5.

Kai can’t sleep. They have gone to bed soon after they nearly kissed but Kai feels so miserable that he’s still awake for hours afterwards.

Finally, he gets up and walks to Julian’s room, insecure what to do. He hasn’t wanted to reject his friend.

_In fact, he has wanted to kiss him._

Kai sighs, taking another step forward. The door to Julian’s bedroom is open and Kai glimpses inside, seeing Julian in his sleep.

The sight goes straight to his heart.

Kai wants to touch Julian’s hair, his skin so badly. He wants to make up with him, wants to do something.

Carefully, he tries to push the door open and before he can even think, he’s inside Julian’s room, holding his breath.

At first, it seems that Julian hasn’t heard him but after some aching seconds, Julian asks: "Kai?"

Kai flinches but eventually, he answers. "Sorry," is all that he can say.

"Are you okay?" Julian props himself up on an elbow, his voice sleepy.

"Uhm, yes," Kai murmurs. "There’s just a spider in my room." He doesn’t know why he comes up with such a lame excuse.

Julian however plays along. "A big spider?" he asks.

"Very big," Kai mutters.

To Kai’s utter surprise, Julian switches a small light on, raising his blanket afterwards. "You can sleep here," he says, "if you can stand my snoring. My bed is big enough for both of us."

Kai is completely perplexed but his feet move faster than his brain and he steps closer. "Thank you," he whispers, slipping underneath the covers.

"You’re welcome," Julian replies, switching off the light, and Kai can hear that he must be smiling.

Although it is pitch black, Kai can sense Julian’s presence. He feels that he needs to say something but he doesn’t. Maybe it’s just enough to be close to Julian.

Julian rustles with the blanket, apparently to find a comfortable place to sleep, and touches Kai’s hand while he moves.

He doesn’t let go of it.

Holding Julian’s hand has a strange, comforting effect on Kai. He calms down, the whirlwind in his mind slowing down too.

"Sleep tight, Kai," Julian whispers, briefly stroking Kai’s hand.

Surprisingly fast, enwrapped in Julian’s presence, his scent and his protection, Kai falls into a deep sleep.

***

When Kai opens his eyes the next morning, Julian is already awake, typing on his mobile, putting it aside when he notices that Kai comes back to life.

"Hey, did you sleep well?" Julian asks, looking so tenderly at Kai that Kai has to swallow.

"Yes," Kai croaks out, desperate to touch Julian again although he doesn’t dare to do so. He must have slept for quite some hours because he feels that he needs to pee urgently, swinging his legs out of the bed.

"Will you come back to me?" Julian says quietly, his blue eyes piercing Kai.

"Of course, Jule," Kai replies. "I will always come back to you."

***

They spend almost the entire day in Julian’s bed, watching Netflix, playing Fortnite and other games, only leaving the bedroom to get some food and a shower. It’s pure paradise for Kai.

Just when it is late afternoon, Julian comes up with an idea. "I thought that we would go on a trip today, this time just the two of us," he suggests.

"Cool!" Kai replies, although he wouldn’t have anything against staying in bed for longer.

"Marco told me that there is a place at a lake close by that nobody knows. We would be undisturbed there, at least in the evening."

Kai raises an eyebrow in question.

"I thought that we could go swimming there?" Julian continues. "I also bought some groceries for a picnic."

"You love food, don’t you?" Kai chuckles.

"Yes, I love food and…" Julian starts, but he doesn’t finish his sentence.

***

When they arrive at the lake, the Möhnesee as Kai learns, Julian has to call Marco several times until they finally find the secluded spot.

It’s an utterly beautiful place.

There are trees around but the way into the water is shallow and there’s a meadow where they can put their picnic blanket to the ground. They are alone, no other living soul within a few kilometres.

They don’t lay down however, because Julian throws his shoes, socks and shirt away, immediately running into the water. Kai hurries to follow him and they end up in a splashing heap in the lake.

The cold water is a blessing but it doesn’t do anything against the slowly raising heat in Kai.

Julian looks adorable like this, in his famous blue swimming shorts, blond hair soaking wet. "Come here if you dare!" Julian shouts and for a while, they simply fight and play in the water like they have done a million times before.

Afterwards, when they are both out of breath, Julian swims quietly on his back, gazing up into the sky. "The one time Marco had a good idea," he jokes.

Kai wades over to him. " _You_ have many good ideas," he murmurs, offering Julian his hand to pull him up.

"Like the picnic basket that I bought?" Julian wants to know, frowning when he touches Kai’s cold hand. "Shit Kai, you must be freezing. We should get out of the water."

Not letting go of Kai’s fingers, Julian tugs him to their blanket and their towels. He takes a towel and wants to throw it at Kai, but decides otherwise in the last second. Carefully, Julian comes closer and takes the towel, wiping it over Kai’s chest.

Kai closes his eyes and shivers, but not because of the cold. He wants to stop time, wants to savour this moment forever.

All too soon it is gone. Julian lets the towel drop, taking the other one to dry himself off, before he lays down on the blanket, opening the picnic basket. "What about strawberries?" he asks, presenting one to Kai who has joined him in the meantime.

The strawberry smells delicious and Kai nods, opening his mouth without thinking. Julian gets the hint, offering the strawberry to Kai, brushing slightly over Kai’s lips. "Damn, I like your fingers," Kai breathes, heart leaping because he really shouldn’t have said this.

"And my fingers like you", Julian whispers, reaching out his index finger to trail over Kai’s sharp cheekbones.

"Jule," Kai gasps and then, he does it. He kisses Julian because he has to get all the „how would it feel" and „what ifs" out of his mind. There’s only one direction: forward.

Kai presses his lips onto Julian’s, very briefly, but long enough to fall more in love with him than ever before.

Kai’s heart beats like mad, he’s shocked about himself, shocked that he has crossed a line, but he also still thinks about Julian’s soft lips, the warmth of his mouth.

Some pounding heartbeats later, Kai feels Julian’s fingers on his cheeks, gently holding his face, before he receives the best kiss of his life.

It’s a tender kiss, at least until Jule’s tongue gets involved. Kai hasn’t known that it is possible to kiss someone breathless, but that is exactly what Julian is doing to him.

Julian is showing him his love, Kai is one hundred percent sure about that. There’s no way that such a soft, thorough kiss doesn’t contain a message.

And Kai responds to that message. He feels clumsy, insecure even, but he knows for sure where his tongue belongs to, what he has to do with his lips and his mouth and his hands and his fingers.

Everything is connected with Julian now. Kai still kisses him, deeply, hands stroking over his strong muscles, bodies pressed together. There’s a certain hardness somewhere but it doesn’t matter, not now. There’s something else in their minds.

All the kisses they have never shared.

Julian’s cheeks turn pink but he doesn’t stop kissing Kai, nothing could stop them from kissing each other right now.

They only take a pause when the sun descends, colourizing the lake in a luscious red.

Arm in arm, hand in hand, they are sitting at the shore, realizing that nothing will ever be the same once the sun will rise again.


	7. Day 6.

Kai can’t stop kissing Julian. He kisses him while the sun descends, while they return to their picnic blanket, while they lay down onto the ground.

It’s intriguing to kiss Julian, to feel his soft lips and his tongue. Kai doesn’t want to think about tomorrow, about the next days or weeks or the rest of his life.

They don’t speak much during these magical hours, just kissing and letting their hands carefully explore each others bodies.

"It’s getting cold," Julian finally whispers and Kai can feel that he has goosebumps all over his arm.

"Shall we return?" he replies, scared that the spell might be broken once that they are back in Julian’s flat.

It turns out that his fears are unfounded.

Julian kisses Kai in the car and whenever the traffic allows it, he gazes at him in a way that lets Kai’s heart melt. Their hands are entangled as long as the streets are straight, and in between, Kai’s hand rests upon Julian’s bare thigh.

They kiss in the elevator to Julian’s flat and they kiss when the door of his flat is closed behind them. "Whirlpool?" Julian mumbles, tugging Kai with him.

Almost naturally, Julian takes his clothes off before he climbs into the pool.

Kai has seen Julian naked before, but he was never naked just for him. "Like what you see?" Julian asks playfully when Kai can’t avert his gaze from him.

Kai needs some courage to get out of his shorts too but Julian encourages him with his warm, open smile. "Hey," he whispers when Kai joins him in the water, stealing another kiss from him.

Suddenly, Kai turns really shy but Julian realizes it instantly. "We can wait. I have waited for a long time to kiss you, so no worries."

"You did what?" Kai asks stunned.

"I wanted this for quite some time," Julian admits.

"For how long?"

Julian shrugs, cheeks turning pink.

"Weeks? Months?"

Julian shakes his head.

"Damn it, Jule, you wanted to kiss me for years? Why did you never do it?"

"I wasn’t sure that you wanted it too." Julian looks sheepishly at Kai.

"You’re an idiot, Jule," Kai whispers. "But at least you are _my_ idiot.“

***

Julian gets some drinks for them, a towel loosely wrapped around his hips, Kai waiting in the whirlpool for him.

The cocktails are delicious, but Julian’s lips are even tastier. Kai kisses him, kisses the taste of orange juice and desire from his lips, kisses Julian until both of them are hard.

He has never thought that they would ever get to this point.

For a moment, Kai is insecure, aware that they are crossing another line here. When he moves his hand. Which he does.

Gently, he lets his fingers sink down from Julian’s face to his chest, where his heart is pulsing. He strokes him there, excited about the noises Julian makes.

"Kai," Julian breathes, head nestled against Kai, and he even moans when Kai brushes over Julian’s nipple, half by accident, half not.

Julian is pliant in Kai’s embrace, his eyes with the long lashes closed. "Can I…?" Kai asks, moving his fingers a tiny bit deeper.

"Always," Julian gasps, an edge of sheer need in his voice.

Kai strokes downwards over Julian’s cuddly belly, something _he_ has wanted to do for a long time. He hesitates just inches before Julian’s dick. This is big. And he’s not talking about the size in front of him.

"You don’t have to," Julian repeats, "I can stay here forever just kissing you and… _oh fuck, Kai!_ "

Julian’s dick is gorgeous, so hard and soft at the same time. Kai is in deep wonder that it feels so good to touch Julian there. His fingers explore everything, Julian’s balls and his dick, and he moves them just to hear more moans.

Eventually, Kai wraps his fingers around Julian’s complete length.

Julian’s body has fallen against him and he not only hears his sharp breaths, but also feels them against his own skin.

"Jule," Kai whispers, not stopping to stroke him. Suddenly, there is so much love inside him, so much love for Julian that his heart literally overflows.

"Kai," Julian replies, "Kai, I…." he doesn’t finish his sentence and he doesn’t have to. Kai can feel that Julian comes, he senses it and holds him even closer. Julian is limp in his arms now, completely ruffled - and more beautiful than ever.

Kai feels so many emotions, he is proud and also a bit astonished that they really went this far.

But most of all, he is head over heels in love.

Their kisses taste like raw desire now, another step being taken. At first, Kai flinches when he feels Julian’s fingers on his shoulders, gently kneading them. Because he knows where this will lead to. He wants it with every fibre, but he also knows that nothing will be the same afterwards.

Julian’s fingers are skilled, he seems to know all the places where Kai wants to be touched. His chest, his collarbones, the abs. The nipples, oh fuck, the nipples. "Yes!" Kai whispers against his will, just to encourage Julian to go on.

There’s a splash of water when Julian’s hand dives deeper, underneath the surface of the water, and then there’s sheer bliss.

The first contact of Julian’s fingers with Kai’s dick is marvelous. Kai shivers and raises his hips, eager to get more. He has always loved Julian’s fingers, but they are a sensation upon Kai’s skin. Julian strokes and caresses him, he’s soft and resolute at the same time and it’s just perfect.

It takes Julian only a few minutes, maybe only seconds, to bring Kai close to the edge. Kai can feel the orgasm approaching, his body tingling in anticipation. When Julian makes the one move that lets everything explode, Kai pants his name.

He wants to say something else in addition, something very important. But before he can speak, Julian seals his lips with another kiss.

***

They have sex the entire night, until early in the morning. Kai comes three times and he gets more and more confident, showing Julian with his reactions what he likes the most.

In the pre-dawn hours of the day, they finally catch some sleep, Kai snuggling tightly into Julian.

There’s a shower later, after they had breakfast in bed, but they don’t dare to take the shower together yet. However, when Kai comes out of the bathroom, he immediately sees the predatory look upon Julian’s face. He can get hard just from that intense look, as he has learnt during the previous hours.

Without thinking twice, Kai lets the towel fall from his hips, walking towards Julian all naked.

"Come and get me," Kai murmurs, suppressing a groan when Julian kisses him, tugging him to the bed again.

He expects another making-out session, Julian’s perfect fingers on his dick, but there’s a surprise waiting for him.

Julian turns Kai onto his back and kisses him, slowly moving deeper to his nipples. It’s pure pleasure to feel Julian’s lips there and Kai doesn’t have a clue what’s up until Julian licks a trail down to Kai’s belly button and beyond.

"Jule!" he gasps when he finally realizes what Julian has in mind, gazing down. The sight of Julian’s blond shock of hair between his bent legs is already almost too much. Kai grabs the sheet with his hands and holds his breath too.

Slowly, Julian bends closer over Kai, until Kai can feel his breath ghosting over his dick. Kai lets out an embarrassing whimper but he forgets about it in the next second, straight when Julian’s tongue touches him.

Kai sobs, feeling that his legs start to tremble. He knows that he can’t hold back for long, that this will be over all too soon.

Julian glimpses up to him before he takes Kai’s dick into his hand, holding it before he parts his lips and…

Kai comes straight away, the first contact of Julian’s sinful lips with his dick already enough for a mind-blowing height. He barely notices that he comes while he’s still deep in Julian’s mouth.

A few pounding heartbeats later, Julian crawls right next to Kai’s side, smiling like an idiot.

"Sorry," Kai croaks out. "That was just too good."

"I’m glad to hear that," Julian grins.

Kai gazes at him, again full of love. Everything feels so natural with Julian. Even receiving a blowjob from him. And maybe also giving him one…?

Kai props himself up on an elbow and kisses Julian, nudging him down onto the mattress softly. "Time to return the favour," he whispers into Julian’s ear.

"You don’t have to." Julian strokes over Kai’s cheek.

"I know." Kai already kisses Julian’s throat, feeling his pulse there. So strong and vivid, spreading Julian’s unique scent.

Kai takes an extra amount of time to kiss Julian’s belly, the soft yet muscular skin there, following the line of fine hair afterwards with his tongue.

Eventually, he reaches Julian’s dick. It’s twitching in front of him, eager to feel Kai’s caresses. Kai takes Julian into his hand, steadying him, before he licks right from the base to the tip.

"Fuck!" Julian gasps and Kai knows exactly how he feels. He grins and licks another line upwards before he strokes Julian’s balls.

Moisturizing his lips, Kai takes a deep breath, still holding Julian’s dick. He kisses the tip and opens his lips, gliding downwards.

Julian is warm, silky, hard and so amazing in his mouth.

Kai can hear Julian’s suppressed gasps and moans while he moves his head as carefully as he is able to.

Julian doesn’t last much longer than Kai himself did. Kai can hear that he says something, urgently, but he doesn’t care. He wants this and so he takes everything that Julian has to give.

Afterwards, his jaw is a bit sore but he couldn’t be happier.

"You’re amazing, Kai," Julian whispers.

"No, I’m not," Kai answers honestly. "We are amazing. Especially when we are together. And that’s what I want." He pauses before he continues, finally confessing the truth. "I want to be your boyfriend, Jule."


End file.
